March 29, 1986: Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus," a tribute to the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with lyrics in German, hit Number 1 in America.
Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” lyrics are almost entirely in German, and yet you can get the basic gist even if you don’t speak the language. Certain terms transcend language: “superstar,” “rock idol,” “punk.”
And thanks to the Forman film, Americans had a pretty good idea what Falco was describing. Amadeus had been a huge hit, a Best Picture winner that was also the #14 movie on the 1984 year-end box-office list. Also, “Rock Me Amadeus” has a huge, ridiculous singalong chorus. It could’ve been gibberish, and it would’ve hit the same.
Read more: Stereogum
March 29, 1975: Labelle topped the U.S. Singles chart with "Lady Marmalade."
The song “Lady Marmalade” has some scandalous lyrics. Many of them are in French but it also contains English and even gibberish.
Labelle If you know the song, you probably know what it is about. However, even the original singer Patti LaBelle didn’t know what the lyrics meant at first! She admits that she was naive when she got the song in the ’70s. Her group, Labelle, performed the song, written by songwriter Kenny Nolan. The song is about a prostitute and contains the French phrase, “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?” which translates to “Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?”
Read more: Do You Remember
March 29, 1975: Sugarloaf peaked at Number 9 with "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You."
For most intents and purposes, Sugarloaf was finished after their 1973 album I Got a Song failed to generate any attention, but the band continued to push ahead, channeling their frustrations into the bubblegum sarcasm of “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You.” The song became a fluke hit in 1975, prompting a re-release of I Got a Song under a new title borrowed from the hit, which also was prominently featured on the new release.
Read more: Allmusic
March 29, 1982: "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do)," by Christopher Cross, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Arthur does as he pleases — all his life, his master’s toys. Deep in his heart, he’s just… he’s just a boy. This, at least, is how Christopher Cross describes the character of Arthur Bayer, Manhattan playboy billionaire.
But in the 1981 movie Arthur, we don’t actually hear Cross sing that description. Instead, the opening theme song fades out as Arthur’s driver pulls a Rolls Royce up to a curb. Arthur, deeply sloshed and cackling maniacally, rolls down his window and picks up a sex worker, making fun of her the whole time, throwing his money around with abandon.
Read more: Stereogum
March 29, 1982: Vangelis won an Oscar for Best Original Score from the classic movie Chariots of Fire.
Vangelis' electronic score for a film set in 1930s Britain seemed an odd match at first, but the title theme, with its echoing, manipulated rhythm box and melodic hook, became one of the most popular theme songs of the early '80s.
Just hearing the opening 30 seconds conjures up -- for those who have seen the film -- shots of men running on the beach in slow motion, and has been borrowed, adapted, and ripped-off ever since. Suffice it to say that the other six tracks here can't quite match the punch of the title theme.
Read more: Allmusic
Rock Me, Amadeus
Falco
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